1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
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2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precursor
Rather, Vladimir Putin and his cronies were aware that NATO membership is a precursor to EU membership and the freedom and prosperity that generally comes with it.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
The digital marketplace serves as a precursor to the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), scheduled for May 1-4, 2025, in Mumbai, where many of the virtual connections made through the platform are expected to transform into face-to-face business relationships.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Mar. 2025
Visual intelligence in the Apple Watch could serve as a precursor to Apple smart glasses, which have long been rumored but never officially acknowledged.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
The digital marketplace serves as a precursor to the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), scheduled for May 1-4, 2025, in Mumbai, where many of the virtual connections made through the platform are expected to transform into face-to-face business relationships.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Mar. 2025
Visual intelligence in the Apple Watch could serve as a precursor to Apple smart glasses, which have long been rumored but never officially acknowledged.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
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The most obvious forerunner is Video Quartet, a 2002 work in which four screens show four videos simultaneously, each constructed from myriad film clips, all synced in a way that interlaces their soundtracks into a musical composition.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Solution #4: Charles Schwab Schwab, a forerunner in discount brokerage, has a bank subsidiary that can do what banks usually do.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
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Jackson was captivated by the use of water as a symbol of freedom and hope for her ancestors in the lyrics of the spirituals.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The downward trend in proficiency, which preceded the pandemic, is a harbinger of the decline of America’s global competitiveness and economic power in the decades ahead.—
Sari Factor,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s return was widely seen as a harbinger of a second populist wave that would oust establishment figures all over the west.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Very high doses—more than 5,000 milligrams per day—can lead to magnesium toxicity, causing more severe symptoms like low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and abnormal heart rate.—
Alex Yampolsky,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Residents have reported symptoms ranging from sleep disruption to headaches.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The authors of the Yale study sincerely see themselves as heralds of empirical science, whatever the political ramifications.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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This sleek argent-toned agent was once Norrin Radd, a historian from the planet Zenn-La who signed up to be Galactus’ herald to spare his homeworld from an unthinkable fate.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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A number of protesters carried signs about the stock market tanking and the high tariffs Trump has promised to impose on goods coming in from around the globe.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2025
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The peaceful protesters waved signs targeting Trump and Musk.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Thank you dear Lord for my forever baby, my angel Aidan.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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From philanthropy to angel investing, wealthy women are using their money to do good and proving that financial power in the right hands changes everything.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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